Coreopsis plant named ‘Rum Punch’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct  Coreopsis  plant named ‘Rum Punch’ characterized by very free flowering orangey-rose daisy-like flowers, a low mounding habit and excellent vigor.

Botanical designation: Coreopsis spp. (of unknown origin).

Variety denomination: ‘Rum Punch’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct plant of Coreopsis and given the cultivar name ‘Rum Punch’. Coreopsis is in the family Asteraceae. This new cultivar originated as a chance seedling in a container nursery garden.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Rum Punch’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Rum Punch’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

-   -   1. Unique orangey-rose daisy-like flowers.     -   2. Low, mounding habit.     -   3. Very free flowering.     -   4. Excellent vigor.

This new cultivar has been reproduced only by asexual propagation (cuttings and tissue culture). Each of the progeny exhibits identical characteristics to the original plant. Asexual propagation by cuttings and tissue culture using standard micropropagation techniques with terminal and lateral shoots, as done in Canby, Oreg., shows that the foregoing characteristics and distinctions come true to form and are established and transmitted through succeeding propagations. The present invention has not been evaluated under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary with variations in environment without a change in the genotype of the plant.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The photograph shows a one year old Coreopsis ‘Rum Punch’ growing in the ground in the field in August in Canby, Oreg.

DETAILED PLANT DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the new Coreopsis cultivar based on observations of a one-year-old specimen grown in the ground in full sun under typical outdoor conditions in the trial fields in August in Canby, Oreg. Canby is Zone 8 on the USDA Hardiness map. Temperatures range from a high of 95 degrees F. in August to an average of 32 degrees F. in January. Normal rainfall in Canby is 42.8 inches per year. The color descriptions are all based on The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart.

-   Plant:     -   -   Type.—Herbaceous perennial, grown as an annual.         -   Hardiness.—USDA Zone 9-10.         -   Size.—58 cm wide and 45 cm tall to top of flowers.         -   Form.—Low mound with freely branching stems.         -   Vigor.—Excellent.         -   Roots.—Fibrous, freely branching, fine, and Yellow White             158A; roots develop easily from stem cuttings. -   Stem:     -   -   Type.—Ascending.         -   Size.—42 cm tall and 1 to 2.5 mm wide.         -   Internode length.—3.5 to 6.6 cm.         -   Surface.—Glabrous.         -   Color.—Green 137A. -   Leaf:     -   -   Type.—Simple.         -   Shape.—Ternate with lobes linear, terminal lobe the longest.         -   Arrangement.—Opposite.         -   Size.—Grows to 9 cm long where petiole grows to 17 mm long.         -   Width.—Grows to 8 cm wide with lobes 1 mm to 4 mm wide.         -   Margins.—Entire.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Cuneate.         -   Surface texture.—Glabrous.         -   Venation.—Pinnate.         -   Color.—Top side — Green 137A. Bottom — Green 138A. -   Immature inflorescence: Globular, 5 mm wide and 5 mm deep, Greyed     Purple 187B on top with a band on Greyed Yellow 161A in the middle     and the bottom Yellow Green 147B. -   Inflorescence:     -   -   Type.—Long stalked terminal heads of daisy type flowers.         -   Peduncle.—Grows to 8.5 cm tall and 0.5 wide, glabrous, Green             137A.         -   Size.—3.5 cm wide and 10 mm deep.         -   Ray florets.—8 in number, no pistil or stamen, obovate, the             tip three lobed with the terminal lobe the longest, margins             entire, base cuneate, 20 mm long and 8 mm wide, glabrous on             both surfaces, petals cup up, 1 mm claw at base. Color: Ray             flower, topside — Greyed Purple 187C on the end half of the             ray florets blending over a yellow tone closest to Greyed             Orange 167C, claw Yellow 12A. Ray, bottom side — Greyed Red             182C.         -   Cone.—Conic in shape, grows to 6 mm wide and 3 mm deep,             Greyed Purple 187A.         -   Disc florets.—Corolla — 4 mm long and 1 mm wide, tubular, 4             lobed, Greyed Purple 187A on the top ⅓ to Yellow Orange 14A             on bottom ⅔, glabrous. Pistil — 5 mm long, 2-branched stigma             extruding from the corolla, style 3.5 mm long, Orange 24A             overall, ovary 1.5 mm long, White 155A. Stamen — 4,             filaments 3 mm long, extruding, Black 202A, pollen Orange             24A.         -   Bloom period.—June through September in Canby, Oreg.         -   Fragrance.—Light, daisy like. -   Seed: None produced.     -   -   Fertility.—Infertile. -   Disease and pests: Coreopsis are susceptible to mildew and fungal     spots. None of these have been observed on plants grown under     commercial conditions in Canby, Oreg. 

1. A new and distinct Coreopsis plant as herein illustrated and described. 